


To create a lie

by Fangirlmoon



Series: To build a home [11]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Autism, Autistic Spencer Reid, Blood and Injury, Gun Violence, Hurt Derek Morgan, Hurt Spencer Reid, Hurt/Comfort, Parental Aaron Hotchner, Parental David Rossi, Protective Aaron Hotchner, Protective David Rossi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29581638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlmoon/pseuds/Fangirlmoon
Summary: Morgan and Reid get robbed and beaten up when they are out late at night and Morgan is embarrassed that he couldn't keep Spencer safe so he makes him lie about what happened only for the team to make their own assumptions.[This is an AU in which Morgan and Reid share a house (as friends). The parts can be read independently.]
Relationships: Derek Morgan & Spencer Reid
Series: To build a home [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2155380
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

"This can't be possible I could swear we had at least some noodles here before we left." They came back from a case an hour ago and Morgan was now searching for something to eat. "We have your weird cake things that's it."

"Nice." With a smile Spencer goes to grab them but is stopped by Morgan who pulls them back.

"We are not eating them for dinner when we just worked two weeks with the bare minimum of sleep and food."

"We are not? They are good." Annoyed Morgan rolls his eyes and goes to open one of them. They taste okay but are not dinner worthy. 

"You up for grocery shopping?"

"We could just order something."

"Then we have the same problem tomorrow morning let's grab something if we drive now we can still find an open supermarket." Morgan shoves his Wallet into his pocket and grabs the keys from the counter. "Can you come with me?"

"I am actually pretty tired-"

"C'mon it will hardly take an hour." Spencer hesitates before following Morgan out of the house and into the car. "You can pick dinner."

"Macaroni with tomato sauce." He immediately decides. Morgan doesn't know how often it was being cooked in their house. Sometimes it's the only things Spencer eats for days. Noodles in general mostly are a thing that is always okay.

"Okay, it's Macaroni with tomato sauce tonight." With a smile Morgan turns off the car, unbuckles his seatbelt and looks in Spencer's direction who suddenly looks panicked.

"Morgan watch out-" With that the door behind him was opened and he was pulled out of the car and hit the ground before someone yelled:"Gun. He is carrying a gun." And before he could grab said gun his head was banged into the ground ones again and he felt the person on top of him getting it before him. "They are Cops!" The man behind him yells and Morgan looks up to see another pair footsteps. He can count two persons, and at least on more who was with Reid. Reid. Oh god. "Stay down." With all his strength he tries to push himself off the ground but was immediately pushed down again. "I said stay down." And then he heard a gun click. 

"What do you want?" 

"Your money." 

"You already have that,it was next to my credentials so what is this?" 

"Quiet." A women voice yells and he shuts up before he heard something bang against the metal of his car. "What is taking so long?"

"He won't give us his money."

"He is not carrying any." Morgan pleads before he hears another hit. "Man just take my money and my phone or whatever you want."

"I said quiet." He follows the order and stays quiet till he hears Spencer crying out in pain again and he snaps and lunges up to grab the gun causing it to go off but he gets the gun and helds women in front of his chest having his arm around her neck. The shot hadn't hit anyone and then he realizes that the gun in his hand isn't his it is theirs which means there have to be more. 

"I will let her go and you leave. Now."

"We can't let you."

"I don't know what you had planned and I don't wanna know just drop my gun and I will exchange her for my guy and you can keep my money."

"And your car."

"And my car." It's a good thing he has a higher chance of catching them when they use his car. "Do we have a deal?" 

"Yes."

"Then drop my gun and slide it over to me and the minute it stops sliding I let her go." The man drops the gun and does what he is told and then he does let her go and the four people get into the car and Morgan shoots the tires. "Reid grab this." He kicks his gun over and approaches the car his gun aiming at the drives head and the people inside accept that they can't win this and move their hands on their head when they saw the police arrive seconds later. 

"Police drop your weapon." Morgan does, kneeling down.

"We are FBI. I am Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan and the man over there is Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid. We were robbed my credentials are over there." The female officer checks it and immediately hands Morgan back his gun who gets up to get over to Reid. "Hey hey hey, I am here, look at me." Kneeling down he pulls Spencer up in his arm. "It's alright." 

"I am okay."

"You don't look okay kid." His lip was open and from an wound right under his left eye was blood running down his cheek.

"I am. I am okay." Out of breath he grabs Morgan's shirt. "What- what-"

"Only hit my head twice I am good." 

"Chest- Can't breath." Morgan let's go of him and lays him on the ground. "I can't breath."

"You can, it's alright,you can breath."

"Kicked me."

"They kicked you?"

"Chest, kicked me in the chest."

"Agent do you need medical attention-"

"No." Spencer immediately answers but Morgan says otherwise. 

"We need to get you checked out." They are being let go from the hospital in the early morning and Morgan had watched every little step they had taken, since Reid was not comfortable in hospitals nor around doctors and eventually had stopped talking so Morgan sat there and watched them stitch Spencer's lip and patch up his face after it was safe to say that it was the shook that let to Spencer not being able to breath and then the shame overcame him when the doctor turned to him and had asked how the hell this could even happen if they are agents and Morgan was taken by surprise and didn't even have an answer for this. "Slowly, one step after the other." He ordered Reid as they walked out of the hospital Reid anxiously letting Morgan help him when they get into a cap. When they finally got home he got Spencer seated on the couch and made a decision. "We won't tell anyone this happened okay?" Confused Spencer looked at him. "This stays between us. We don't tell the team and everything we discuss we discuss here. No were else. Did I make myself clear?" Anxious Spencer nods, his hands in Morgan's strong grip. "You fell down our stairs. You were reading, you tripped, you bashed your head into the bookshelf, you hear me?" Again he nods and Morgan is not even sure if he is understanding him correctly or if he is dazed by the pain. "I will get you your blanket and then you can sleep a few more hours alright? I will drive to work at the same time I always do and I will tell them what I just told you and that you are joining us if there is a case." Scared Spencer grabs Morgan's arm when he wants to move away. "No hey, I will get you your blanket and then come back. You need to stay calm." He was being unfair he knows it, Spencer had tried the whole night to stay calm and now he was sitting there with the numbness in his lips from the cream that was put on them and Morgan can only imagine what kind of sensory hell this must be for him. 

Morgan guides him down into the pillow and puts the blankets over him, and starts stoking his hair. "It's okay, you need to sleep." Spencer was humming to himself till it eventually quiet down and Morgan himself had time to shower and he realized that his plan might not work with him also having a bruise on his face. 

"I will leave,you just stay here and rest I will get you if we have a case." Spencer was still not speaking just watching the TV in front of him. "I need you too remember exactly what I told you okay? We aren't talking about this to anyone. Not JJ,not Hotch not Garcia." He gives Spencer's shoulder a light squeeze before leaving him alone. 

"Morning."

"Morning were is Reid?"

"He fell down the stairs last night, got bashed up pretty good he is resting he asked me to call him if we have case." Morgan tells Hotch who sceptical eyes him. 

"How many stairs are we talking about?"

"All the way from my floor to his floor, he knocked his head against the bookshelf he got stitched up in the ER so he is safe now." In sympathy Hotch winces. 

"I mean you don't look good either. You were with him in the ER?"

"Yeah."

"What about the bruise on your face?"

"He got panicked when they stitched his lip,it's nothing." To Hotch's credits, Spencer was like this when it comes to other people touching him so he let's it slight till they get a case in the afternoon.

"Come on wake up." Confused Spencer looks around while Morgan grabs him under his arms pulling him into a seating position. "We have a case, I told them I would pick you up." Everything Spencer can do is just let him rush it, he gets him into a dress shirt and suit pants and helps him with his converse ignoring the tears on Reid's face caused by his behaviour. "A little help Reid." Morgan snaps when he can't get him into the shoes. "I told Hotch you would be ready." In pain Spencer leans down and eventually gets into the shoes before Morgan pulls him up and makes him follow into Spencer's car and drives them to the airport. "I need you to stop crying." Spencer couldn't understand why Morgan acted this way, if he wouldn't be involved and so sore and tired and confused he would have seen that this is Morgan's response to the Trauma. To ignore that it happened and to move on with his life as fast as he can. 

The steps up to the jet were painful and when they stepped in, the faces of the team members pale at the sight of Spencer's swollen face. 

"Oh god, Spence." 

"He is fine." Morgan assured guiding Spencer down in the seat that Emily gets up from so he can sit at the table. 

"What happened?"

"You guys should see the bookshelf." Morgan jokes he had told them all the same story he told Hotch who eyed Spencer sceptical and so did Rossi who was sitting directly in front of Reid. 

"Reid are you cleared to travel?" 

"He is, I asked." He isn't. 

"No talking?" Rossi asks carefully and Reid shakes his head and then looking at Morgan. 

"You don't have to just listen you can write it down if you need to say something." Morgan says grabbing a Notepad from the other table and placing it in front of him. He makes no attempt to grab the file so Morgan does that also for him opening it. "You can still read can you?" Anxious Spencer nods and grabs the file while Emily pulls Morgan back a little bit. "What?"

"Nothing." 

"You believe them?" Rossi asks when he is alone with Hotch in a car on the way to the precinct. 

"I don't know it's not unrealistic. But if he really would have fallen down stairs Morgan would be worried sick right now and not pushing him like this but on the other hand-"

"You can't tell me a person can look like this from falling down stairs." The older Agent interrupts him. "Have you seen his eye? His lip?" 

"Of course I have but- it- it is possible. I don't want- Morgan would never hurt Reid." 

"I am not saying he did. He is bruised up too." 

"You think it was the other way around?"

"Possible." They stayed silence for a moment. 

"Let's not rush that but you talk to Morgan I talk to Reid." Hotch decides but Emily got it covered first. Rossi, her and Morgan are standing in a room sorting through the pictures that the Killer send to the police. 

"You want me to get you some ice for that?" She asks when he carefully touched the bruise from last night. He hadn't even realized he did that. 

"No it's fine."

"What happened there anyway?"

"Nothing."

"Did Reid do that?" Emily pushes looking down at the picture in her hand.

"Yeah, because he freaked out when they numbed his lip." Nervous he shifts in his seat. 

"Are you sure?" Rossi gets involved.

"Excuse me?" 

"Are you sure this happened in the ER and not before?"

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that Spencer sometimes lets his anger get the best of him. And nobody is blaming him but if it gets-"

"You think Spencer did this out of anger?" Furious he gets up from his seat. "Are you even hearing yourself? He would never hurt me and even if he does get angry, if he does hit me, I can handle it and I leave the room just like we communicated it. And you know that." 

"Derek-"

"No, I am not letting you two make accusations like this. Especially because it would mean that I did what is on his face in return." Emily bows her head pressing her lips together. "If you will excuse me." With that he is was out of the room.

"Can I talk to you really quick?" Hotch asks Reid as the two of them picked up Coffee for the others on their way back from the crime scene. "Sit down, if that's okay." Reid hasn't talked all day and he isn't sure if it's because of his lip or because he simply can't talk. 

"I need to know if you can work." A nod.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" A nod.

"You tell me if you want to write something." The team has gotten pretty good at communicating with Reid if he goes non-verbal. It doesn't happen often but sometimes it can. "Can you not talk because of your lip or because you can't talk in general?" A nod.

"Because of you lip?" A shake of his head.

"Oh do you know why? Is something bugging you?" Spencer moves his shaking hand up to his face and Hotch stops him from touching his lip seeing dried blood on Spencer's wrist. "Don't touch it. I am sorry they must feel terrible." He nods while tears shot to his eyes. "Does anything hurt? Despite your face?" A nod. "Can you show me?" Hesitating Spencer takes Hotch's hand and places it on his rips. It makes sense that they would hurt if he fell down stairs. "I am sorry. Do you maybe want to rest today and start on the case tomorrow?" Spencer nods and let's Hotch bring him to the hotel. 

"Spencer stayed back at the hotel he will join us tomorrow." Hotch announces as he comes into the room filled by his team. 

"Why?"

"He was hurting."

"He is fine he just fell down a couple of stairs."

"Have you looked at him Morgan?" Hotch asked. "He is not off the case he decided he wants to take the evening and night and that's alright."

"He is fine."

"Why do you keep on insisting he is fine?" JJ asks and Morgan shuts up looking back down onto the file.

"Look Morgan, if you are worried you can go to the hotel and work from there." The unit chief tries a little bit more gentle. "I am sure he would want you there." Defeated Morgan grabs his file and shows his copys of the pictures in it and walks out.

"Are we believing this?" Rossi asks when it is sure he can't hear them anymore.

"Yes."

"Alright." If Hotch gives an answer like this, the team stops questioning as long as not something happens that makes it reasonable to ask the question again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Try to talk." It was early in the morning and Morgan was standing in front of Spencer who was sitting on the bed. "You can do it, it won't hurt as much as you think it does." Scared Spencer looks up at him, while tears form in his eyes. "Deep breath and then try. Anything it doesn't need to make sense." He had communicated earlier that he is scared to speak again because of the stitches. "Please." Spencer finger tap on his tight. "You can do this." 

"Sorry."

"Hey look at you!" With a smile he nudges Spencer's arm. "Nobody is demanding long sentences, we will keep icing your lip and then it will be gone in no time."

"Why the lie?" He whispers and Morgan almost hadn't heard it but he did and was now moving away from Spencer while his expression changed. 

"You fell down the stairs from my floor to yours. You hit your head against the bookshelf and we got you into the hospital were you hit me by accident."

"Why?" Spencer was surprised by Morgan lunching forward and grabbing his shirt.

"Because I said so you hear me?" He immediately bows his head. "Good." 

But while Spencer dealt with what happened quietly in his head,blaming himself that he didn't warn Morgan sooner and that he wasn't much of a help, Morgan's anger was more and more noticable. "Don't touch that." He pushes Spencer's arm back on the table with a force that made Spencer's face wince in pain.

"What is going on with you?" Rossi asks.

"Nothing." Morgan promises. "Nothing we are all good."

"All good." Spencer repeats and then realizes what he had said and flinching away from Morgan.

"That's enough you two are gonna tell me what happened three days ago." Hotch got up from his seat. "Now."

"I fell down the stairs from the second to the first floor and hit my head at the bookshelf and then hit Morgan in the hospital by accident." Spencer repeats perfectly. 

"Why did you fell?"

"I was reading." 

"Can you stop this? What do you think happened?" 

"I don't know but I don't think he fell down stairs when you are acting like this. Normally he only needs to have a scratch and you start to protect him from any harm and now you are doing the opposite? So what did you fight? Did you knock each other around a couple of times?" He keeps provoking causing Morgan to launch forward but Hotch reacts faster pressing him down on the table. "Please don't tell me you did this." 

"Stop it." Spencer starts pulling at Hotch arm from his seat. "He didn't do what you said. He would never do what you said." 

"Spencer it's okay."

"We were robbed." He finally tells them. "We were- we were- we were at the supermarket and- and- they ripped us out of the car- and- and pointed guns at us- and- and it wasn't Morgan. Morgan doesn't hurt me stop hurting him." In shook Hotch looks at Spencer while Rossi looks down at Morgan who was on the verge of breaking into tears. 

"Aaron." He reminds him and Hotch lets lose and helps the man up. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Morgan told me not to. I don't know." 

"It's been handled." Morgan carries and readjust his shirt. 

"What happened?" Hotch asked and JJ puts an comforting arm around Reid. 

"We were robbed, we caught them, they did that before, done deal." 

"No. What happened?" 

Morgan breaths in deeply."When we got home from the case on Thursday, we had to do grocery shopping because we only had-"

"Go on."

"We were in the parking lot and- and- I was looking at Spencer and- the door- the door- was- was being ripped open behind me- and I was pulled out- on the ground and- I- I- heard- I heard them- them doing the same- with Spencer and they grabbed my gun. Spencer wasn't carrying and- and- I- I don't know how but I got one of them as my hostage and I- I negotiated that they get the car and I get- I get my gun and I stopped the car by shooting the ties and- we drove to the hospital- and- I don't know." By the time he looked ready to pass out on the spot.

"Sit down." Hotch pulls a chair out from the table and Morgan follows his instructions. "Were you hurt too?"

"My head hit the ground ones, I am fine. Really. Spencer didn't hit me." 

"Why on earth would you not tell us?" Rossi asks and Hotch could murder him for his bluntness sometimes.

"You don't have to answer it I think we all know." Morgan had collected himself pretty fast again while the rest was still processing what they just told them. "This is something that isn't to be taken lightly."

"We stand in front of guns at least twice a month." He argues.

"There is a difference."

"No and I am done talking about my private life which concerns none of you but Spencer so back off." The walking off whenever he gets uncomfortable kinda seems to start being his thing so Hotch let's him and the turns his attention to Reid.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was really confused and- and- he just- he just told me to go with it- and then- then we got the case and he- he- got me out of the house to the jet- and I- I couldn't speak and I didn't want to make things harder for him after he probably saved my life."

"What did they want?" Rossi asks.

"Money I guess but I didn't have any so they kept hitting and kicking and there was a shot and I was just laying there and hoping that it wasn't Morgan and then I heard him talking and then he- he told me to grab the gun to- to surround the car and then the police came I guess someone called them. I didn't hit Morgan."

"We know."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this series is the follow up series to another one of mine "Green" is (I will link it in the endnote) can there be some confusion if you haven't read it. But here is a short summary of it so you don't have to read it all and can still 'enjoy' this: 
> 
> In the story "Green" Spencer gets together with Lola who abuses him following up this abuse he stays with Morgan who helps him recover as much as that is possible. Spencer doesn't want to go back to his apartment so Morgan decides that it is time for a change, they move in together in one of the houses Morgan renovated ones.

Rossi was the first to get through to Morgan even if it has probably more to do with the alcohol in Morgan's blood than Rossi. "It's not your fault."

"I know."

"No. You don't." 

"I- He didn't want to go and I pushed him and he just wanted to stay home and then it happened. We are Agents and we didn't even see them coming."

"You said they were serial."

"Doesn't matter." 

"Spencer will be okay but you two need to talk."

"I made him lie, I knew he would listen to me and all he wanted was for me to be there and to help him and I left just like I did when Emily was in paris and he- I took advantage of him not being able to speak. I just grabbed him and dresses him- I- I- I yelled at him for crying. I- I- I was so focused and living up to the lie and he was still processing everything." He admits his guilt. "I treated him like it is best for me I am not better than Lola."

"Don't. That's a different thing." Carefully Rossi takes the scotch glass out of Morgan's hands and places it behind the bar. "You were traumatized, you wanted to get this over with, and it wasn't the right thing to do but I am sure Reid doesn't feel like he did when he was with her. You did this because you thought it would keep you both the safest she did it to enjoy herself."

"I can't stop thinking about how I grabbed him- and- I-" 

"Let's get you home, you have got more than enough for today." He hadn't come in for work so Spencer spilled the secret about were he probably is. 

"Is Spencer home?"

"He is. Hotch is with him."

"Can we not-" Drunkenly Morgan stumbles from his seat.

"I will bring you home. To Spencer."

"Hey" Shy Spencer waves to Morgan when he came through the door followed by Rossi but didn't get an answer. 

"Thank you for driving me." He tells Rossi and then throws his keys onto the little table in the corridor and walks towards the last room to get upstairs.

"You wanna come with me?" Hotch asks having his hand on Spencer's arm. 

"No I am okay."

"Call us if something is bothering you." 

"I will, thank you." He squeezes Spencer's arm ones and then leaves with Rossi the house and Spencer goes back to leaving Morgan alone until he heard him coughing when he was working in his office that was under his room and went up to check on him. "Morgan?" Quietly he walks in and walks past the thin wall and then sees the door to his bathroom open. "Are you okay?"

"Yes go." Morgan gags again and shortly after he throws up. "Seriously go, I am disgusting right now."

"It's alright I don't mind." He grabs a glass from Morgan's desk and fills it with water and then walks over to him holding it with an outstretched arm since now that he smells it, it is pretty disgusting. "I got you water."

"Thank you but give me a minute." Spencer stays quiet for a literal minute and then asks again and Morgan takes a sip and throws up again. "Sorry."

"Can I do something?"

"No, no maybe leave." To give him some privacy Spencer does leave the room and sits down on Morgan's bed and the man throws up another time. "I know you are still sitting there. I am sorry. I- I should have- I should have protected you. And I should have been the one who takes the beating. I should have let you stay home." He slurs, tears running down his face. "I am sorry I made you lie. That wasn't fair. I am sorry." He coughs again but doesn't throw up. "You were hurt, I should have taken care of you not hurting you more." 

"You didn't hurt me." Anxious Spencer steps into the bathroom, Morgan was slumped against the wall looking up to him. "You took care of me in the way you thought was right in the moment."

"It wasn't right."

"But you didn't hurt me." Spencer promises. "You never could."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First part of Green:
> 
> [**Baby**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29341452) (7108 words) by [**Fangirlmoon**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlmoon)  
>  Chapters: 6/6  
> Fandom: [Criminal Minds (US TV)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Criminal%20Minds%20\(US%20TV\))  
> Rating: Teen And Up Audiences  
> Warnings: Rape/Non-Con  
> Relationships: Spencer Reid/Original Female Character(s)  
> Characters: Spencer Reid, Derek Morgan, David Rossi, Aaron Hotchner, Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, Emily Prentiss, William LaMontagne Jr., Penelope Garcia  
> Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Domestic Violence, Hurt Spencer Reid, Autism, Autistic Spencer Reid, Abuse  
> Series: Part 1 of [Green](https://archiveofourown.org/series/2155221)  
> Summary:
> 
> Spencer has an abusive girlfriend.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have trouble visualizing the house:
> 
> https://pin.it/1hps1Kl


End file.
